Clockwork Tides
by girlUndiscovered
Summary: Will and OC fanfiction. Will meets Arielle and can't help but be enthralled into her charm. But she isn't as she seems, not at all. Set after the Clockwork Prince, AU. Rated M for later on into the story, around chapter 6/7.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, so I got my muse back eventually and decided to write an Infernal Devices fanfiction, because I love the books.**

**Yes, I am more of a fan of the WillTess pairing, but I felt that Jem should have her and I should at least write one fanfiction that involved Will being happy even without Tess.**

**The basic outline of the story is that Will meets a girl named Arielle, and all sorts of things happen.**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing.**

**Comments and reviews are very much appreciated.**

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><p>The bell rang with a clatter that shook Will from his reading. He turned his eyes momentarily to the bay window, spotting a female in a dress of a most unusual design. Stray particles, like dust, clouded his vision and he frowned, shaking his head a little and sending his cropped dark locks wavering a little. His eyes fluttered up to the sky, dark eyelashes casting intricate shadows upon those sculpted cheekbones as he looked heavenwards. It had just began to snow, powdering the world in a light mist.<p>

Those eyes closed then, the flawless blue of freshly picked peonies hidden from view by the lashes that many a girl would have begged for before they reopened, just as the bell was tugged for a second, insistent time. It grated within his ears like a foghorn, and he sat back, leaning against the heavy velvet drape and brooding on why Sophie had not yet gone to answer it.

Then of course he remembered; Sophie had been taken 'training' with Gideon, if that was what you could call secret outings that probably involved some frolicing that should most certainly not happen to a woman of her state in society, or rather, the lack of 'Mrs' at the beginning of her name. But Gideon had proposed to her; Will could still remember the night. They had been celebrating some new invention of Henry's, when suddenly Gideon had stood and announced his intentions to Sophie.

Henry, being Henry had choked on a chicken bone and Jem had had to escort him to the medical wing. Good old Jem. Charlotte, having sat back down again heavily had murmured some congratulations, her face a little paler. It was not on Sophie's part, but he knew how Charlotte's brain worked - she would be thinking of Benedict Lightwood, that pompous old fart, and his rows with the court. But then, he also knew Charlotte would consider they knew of his demon pox.

Perhaps it was Charlotte's musings that had inspired his own.

Thankfully however he did not bear a child that could kick at the flesh of the belly, hurting the mother and earning sweet coos of delight from all other female members in the room. Such strange creatures females were. Strange indeed. And then Tess.. she was simply-

The bell rang for the third time, and Will's eyes flashed open, the blue hues infuriated even as he clambered off the window seat, dropping the book and walking slowly downstairs. If they had deemed that their business was urgent enough to rouse him from his thoughts, well perhaps they would be inclined to wait a little longer. Will moved over to the sprawling array of weaponary that adorned the coat rack; his fingertips grazed Jessie's umbrella and a wave of remorse swept through him.

The shadowhunter life ruined everything else.

He plucked from the pile a slender blade concealed in a sheath that appeared to be a cane - Jem had designed it and it had his lingering feel, lingering touch to it. The oriental dragons that carved down the piece had been done in his own hand, and Will brought it up to his face, inspecting it as he again became engaged with his mind and the meaning to the curves of the dragon, until the bell, again, brought him back. He shook his head a little; he was getting far too preoccupied with life in general.

Sliding the cane into his right hand he made his way leisurely towards the door, pulling it open and leaning up against the door frame. The woman had disappeared, and more of out precaution than anything his hand tightened on the handle, even though outwardly he was cool, composed and collected.

His sharp mind immediately captured the scene and devoted it to memory; there were footprints in the snow, footprints that came towards him and then seemed to curve slightly around the corner of the door, almost to lean against the pillar to the doorway; Will had done it many times, be it avoiding Jem or simply too out of breath to continue onwards.

And then there was that unfamiliar little grey scrap of cloth.

He drew the blade a little, feeling that tug and pull of the cane as he pushed his thumb into the hidden catch and unlocked it from it's held postion; the spring within the cane seemed like a wild beast raring to be free of the bonds that so diligently held it in place; the ingenious coils.

Slowly he made his way from the doorway, moving ever so gradually from it until the reflection of the dull sun on the snow was almost blinding and he had to turn his face a little to the side to prevent the image from being seared into his retinas. The enemy would obviously have the advantage of an attack.

Inch by inch he took the courtyard, and with each step he remained free of attack - if one didn't count the pigeons of course. He extended the cane slowly, prodding the fabric. It fluttered limply, but other than that stayed still. Suddenly he heard a very abrupt, harsh cough and whirled, sheath flying off the blade as he angled it in the direction of his attacker.

What he saw however, was not the attacker one would expect.

A woman around the same age as he was pressed up against a pillar, her dark red hair knotted and tangled and vibrant green eyes shining from her gaunt and hollowed face. She was incredible beautiful; this enchanting feline beauty that one would associate with the likes of a fair maiden. Her clothes however, were torn and bloodied - there was a rip up the side of her skirt that exposed a slender leg to the knee and Will averted his eyes out of courtesy, focusing on that face.

"Excuse me..." Her voice was soft and exquisitely delicate, and for a few moments she trembled a little as if the wind itself could have blown her away. "I am looking for a Theresa Gray..." Her breathing was shallow and labored; the slightest trail of blood ran down from her lower lip before her eyes rolled back and she pitched sideways.

Ever the gentleman, Will's body worked faster than his mind and he dropped the blade - which would have earnt him a lecture from Charlotte about always being prepared - capturing her in his arms. He hoisted her up slowly; a look of slight disdain crossed his face, even as he inelegantly shifted her over his shoulder and retrieved the delicate ivory cane.

Will turned, sliding the woman back into his arms in a bridal style before he took her round the long way to the unhallowed house, grumbling about the indecency of mortals.

He couldn't help himself however, as he twisted an arm around her and swept the hair from her face, gazing into that smooth, ivory complexion.

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><p><strong>I hope you're liking it so far, remember, I love reviews. ;3<strong>

**Sophie will return home in the next chapter, along with everyone else who will make a complete fuss over her. I can't say that Sophie isn't relieved that the attention isn't on her.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two now.**

**Will takes the woman into the infirmary on unhallowed grounds and begins to treat her.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own character.**

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><p>Light was a funny little thing. The way it bent around objects and somehow did not. The way it could both capture and hide things - why, Henry had invented an object that could cause light rays to be bent around the body, cloaking the wearer. But then the council had deduced it was worthless due to the fact that shadowhunters could put up glamours to hide and otherwise disguise themselves from mundanes.<p>

Will exhaled heavily; he never thought he'd talk about Henry in such a manner, but frankly poor Henry hardly ever got a break and Charlotte was driven thin because of it.

He loved the two shadowhunters, loved them as if they were his own parents and flesh and blood. Charlotte, forever there for him. Charlotte, the one who had been forced to turn away his parents and had hardly asked a question to the boy who sat with his fingers jammed into his ears. Henry, who had explained everything he invented, who had shown him how to do all manner of marvelous things.

A part of Will regretted all the terrible things he had done to his parents and to Charlotte and Henry. He regretted what he had done to everyone; he had shunned society and in his cause to save everyone's lives had broken others. Like Gabriel's younger sister for example.

The slightest little smirk crossed his face at that moment - there was one thing that he had enjoyed a little, even if he had been swept up with the most tiny amount of remorse afterwards. But frankly, Gabriel made such an overly dramatic fuss about it that it would seem that Will had announced his intentions and then promptly bedded her, before sweeping off into the night and abandoning her to deal with both her brothers and the aftermath.

The girl stirred in his arms, and he pushed open one of the infirmary doors with a foot - or perhaps 'pushed' was not the right word. His foot collided with the door, which then flew open and rebounded against the wall behind the door, managing to smack Will hard in the shoulder as he passed by it. He let out a low growl, like a wounded beast as he nudged it open with that same shoulder.

He slid her onto one of the beds, eyes running critically over the assortment of wounds that dappled her figure. There was something glinting within her arm; almost the shape of a slightly thick bullet. Will whipped out a bone handled knife with a wickedly curved blade, approaching her arm before merely cutting off her sleeve at the shoulder, making sure to avoid the bare flesh more out of social decency than anything else.

A man should never make contact with a woman whom he did not know unless it were the hands or the cheeks - a kiss of the cheek could occasionally be acceptable but anywhere else except from the back of the palm - why, it was practically taboo.

Will paused for a moment, sliding out of the room before returning with one of those hospital gurneys - he had a scalpel, a needle and thread and some tweezers, along with a good measure of gauze and bandages. He should have waited for Sophie or Charlotte to return - the horror if he saw something he was not meant to - but unless he stitched her up at least partially, they were going to have a woman who had bled to death on their hands, and that was hardly something that could be easily disguised.

Perhaps it would enforce the rumors that the place was haunted.

He stared at the dress for a moment, before gripping each side of the bodice and tearing it down lengthways, revealing the white fabric of her petticoat and corset. Stupid things, those corsets. Why would one lace up their ribs so tightly that they couldn't breath? Another wicked glint of the knife and the corset was undone, leaving her merely in a white fabric petticoat.

If only Charlotte, Jem or Tess would've seen him now.

They would have preached on at him with the high morals of society today and how it was socially unacceptable to see a woman in this state of undress. Will let out a bitter and almost cold laugh, before returning to the task at hand.

He slid the remnants of the dress from her body, careful not to damage further the slices and cuts she had laced across her frame. He gripped onto the tweezers, plucking out what could now be seen as a metal capsule. He dropped it to the table slowly, and it opened with the hiss one would associate a snake with making. A tiny scrap of paper rolled out, and still using the tweezers Will unfolded it.

Dear B,

Sorry that the experiment failed, I thought I'd send her over to you however.

Be warned, she's a fiesty little thing but easily broken - just make some reference including her uncles demise and she'll dissolve into a sobbing wreck.

I have the substance you asked for.

M.

The last letter 'M' was embossed in a great swirling print, and just below that was the sign of the snake eating it's tail - Ouroboros. Will's heart skipped a beat - finally, a clue towards discovering perhaps the Magisters location. Either that or it was a cleverly held trick planted by the Magister.

He returned his attention to the girl - he stitched up her wounds slowly, almost gently as he brushed back dark locks from his eyes. She had know Tess too - the first thing she'd asked for was Tess.

Her red hair ran like flames down her shoulders, and he pushed those stray locks up, tucking them back behind her head and onto the pillow as he continued that intent work. It's then when he came upon a pattern on her skin - tiny white scars that almost mixed with her complexion. And so strangely familiar. He rolled up a sleeve, set his arm down next to hers, comparing the forearms.

Hers was slender, pale and oh so feminine, whereas his was larger, thickened with muscles. The veins were partially apparent beneath his skin; they roll over the muscle. One of the most concerning similarities were the matching scars. A line there perfectly reflected a line against his own skin.

Will paused, reaching for her other hand. It was like sifting through papers to find a document - although he had been raised among glamours all of his life it could still be bothersome. But then he found it, drew it to the surface with his mind until he dropped her hand and took a step back, his heart loud in his own chest.

Shadowhunter.

The discovery shouldn't have fazed him so much, and he pulled down the neckline of her undergarment a little, revealing another rune that was clearer, although whereas his were etched in glowing black, hers were a fluid red gold that shone like fire.

It would be then of course, that Charlotte, Sophie and Jem should walk in, with Will crouched over the girl, his hand on the corner of the neckline to her dress where he had partially pulled it down to see the rune. He looked up at them, then back to the girl.

By the angel.

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><p><strong>Chapter two up - as for the bone handled knife well, Jace had to get it from somewhere now, didn't he?<strong>

**Chapter three will be up soon.**


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